IMPORTANT

College Bootcamp: DAY 4

How and Why to get Involved in Research and Career Planning

College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences Advising August 20, 2026 at 5:12 PM

UMBC recognizes that you are here for a reason -- you are passionate about the sciences and you are reaching for big things post-grad (e.g. graduate/professional schools and/or the workforce). Without a doubt, your classes will provide you with the content knowledge you need to be successful in these areas but it can be argued that it is your co-curricular work which will allow you to stand out from the crowd and be competitive. Highligted among those co-curricular activies are research and career engagement. For today's College Bootcamp playlist, we will provide a quick overview of the research and career resources we have on campus.

As an R1 institution, UMBC is dedicated to making sure that our undergraduates have access to research both on and off campus in nearby industries. Take some time to explore our Undergraduate Research website where you can find out more about what some of your peers are researching as well as how to get started. For the most part, getting involved in on campus research is as easy as reaching out to your professors and expressing an interest in their work. Every department's website has a section on "Research" where you can find out more about the research areas that our faculty specialize in as well as brief overviews of each lab and a link to their respective lab websites (see links here for BIOL, CHEM, PHYS, MATH/STAT).

If you are feeling intimidated by this process, plan to attend something more unassuming like a department-sponsored research presentation/seminar (follow your department on myUMBC groups to be notified e.g. BIOL), or a research symposium such as Undergraduate Research and Creative Acheivement Day (URCAD) or Summer Undergraduate Research Fest (SURF) where you can simply attend, get a sense of what research means at UMBC, and hear from your peers about how they got involved. The main idea here -- cast a wide net and stay resilient -- the perfect research opportunity for you is just around the corner!

For more formal, internship opportunities, UMBC offers the support of the Career Center. This office is the one-stop-shop for everything career and internship related. You can get help preparing your professional documents such as a resume or cover letter, exploring the career options for your major, and ultimately getting help securing the perfect internship for you! The Career Center even plans for ways to bring employers TO YOU! There are countless Career Center events every semester -- follow them on myUMBC and Instagram to stay informed. It is never too early to start working with the Career Center-- plan to check in with them regularly and from year one!

Most importantly, research and career development can come down to making the right connections. It takes personal motivation and often asks for you to take a step outside of your comfort zone. To help with this, we encourage you to find a mentor (or two) on campus. This could be your professor, advisor, TA, club president, etc. UMBC even has mentorship programs on campus such as the Retriever Graduate Preparation Network (RGPN) which provides high-touch support to students interested in post-bacc graduate programs (including health professions).

Our final suggestion -- speak up and advocate for yourself! Ask questions, share you post-grad goals, and make a research and career plan for today that will pay off tomorrow. Enjoy the videos below for more insight into how and why to get involved in research and careers!

Campus Research Opportunities w/CNMS Student Success Coach Emma Barnaby